A large part of this job is sound effects or foley effects. So named after the originator of the art: Jack Foley. But enough of the history lesson. Let's look at how insane foley artists are...

I am no stranger to creating sounds, but since I have been tasked with sound effects, I am frankly shocked at how much I've begun to notice and overthink every sound I make. From dissecting the chewing noises I make,  and how my inner ear perceives them, to randomly satisfying thoughts like "if I squash enough flour into that leather glove, I can make it sound like I'm stepping in snow" or recording wind through trees and bushes. (Don't worry, it's not the human kind yet.)

And right now I can be found wearing different shoes with a mic pointing at my feet to record various types of footfall in different ambiences. Today, I wet a balloon just to squeak it enough to sound like canvas shoes or sports runners... 

I am trying to create a kind of hyper realism to capture the vision my director has for this upcoming project, without it being too cartoon-ish. Yet keeping tongue firmly in cheek. It's no easy task whilst trying create a musical score at the same time. But I am much happier with too much to do, than too little. My director is a self confessed workaholic, who's very passionate about his art too. So I guess, I'm in good company. Wes Anderson has been cited as a strong reference point sonically, so I now spend my days studying the foley work that is trademark in so many of his films.

I fear I may be getting a little obsessed.

Help me..........

.